|
Newly constructed Kalladi Bridge opened:
Country on rapid development track
Dharma Sri Abeyratne in Batticaloa
All Sri Lankans are duty bound to be a part of the country's
development forgetting bitter incidents of the past, President Mahinda
Rajapaksa said.
 |
|
President Mahinda Rajapaksa
participates in the opening of the newly constructed Kalladi
Bridge in Batticaloa yesterday. Resettlement Deputy Minister
Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, Japanese ambassador Nobuhito
Hobo and other officials were also present. Picture by
Chandana Perera |
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the newly constructed Kalladi
Bridge, Batticaloa yesterday, the President said all should contribute
for the country's development.
“The country is on a rapid development track and every one is
experiencing dividends of development,” he said.
President Rajapaksa said Batticaloa was badly affected by terrorism
for three decades and by the tsunami.
“The area is being rapidly developed in line with Uthuru Wasanthaya
and Negenahira Navodaya,” he said.
The President thanked Japan for its assistance to develop the area.
The bridge, 288 metres in length and 15 metres wide, has been built
next to the ancient Kalladi Bridge (Lady Manning Bridge) in the
Batticaloa town by the government paralled to infrastructure development
activities carried out in the Batticaloa district.
The new bridge takes in the heavy traffic volume, which the century
old Lady Manning Bridge (Kallady bridge) is ill-equipped to cater to,
easing the heavy traffic congestion in the Batticaloa town.
The government allocated Rs 1,970 million for the new bridge, which
has two traffic lanes. The old Kalladi Bridge was said to be the longest
bridge in the country in the past. The 288 metre Kalladi Bridge was
built during the time of the British using giant iron frames. The bridge
was named Lady Manning Bridge.
After several decades, it was found that the bridge was too narrow.
Considering this and several other factors, the government decided to
construct a new wide bridge consisting two traffic lanes parallel to the
old bridge. Novel technology was used to construct the new bridge.
Lady Manning Bridge will not be removed, but preserved as a monument.
|
